


THE UNDISCOVERED

by TheLady0fShalott



Series: Triple A [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different Path, Anakin Skywalker is Not a Jedi, Bounty Hunters, Clone Wars, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Jedi, Male Friendship, Mystery, Pirates, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24408808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLady0fShalott/pseuds/TheLady0fShalott
Summary: AU. In a galaxy clouded by the Dark Side, Anakin, Asajj and Ahsoka were missed by the Jedi. Finding each other and making their way in the galaxy as pirates they come across an R2 unit with secret information about a clone army which puts them in the cross hairs of both sides of the brewing civil war. [8 years post TPM]
Relationships: Adi Gallia & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano & Asajj Ventress, Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker & Asajj Ventress, Padmé Amidala & Mon Mothma & Bail Organa
Series: Triple A [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762651
Comments: 27
Kudos: 70





	1. ABANDON SHIP

The large passenger ship cruised on its heading at sub-light as it glided through space; the smaller star ship that had dropped out of hyperspace behind it had gone unnoticed by the larger vessel. The freighter marked as _Starkiller_ came up alongside and attached to one of the many docking ports of the passenger vessel.

“Smooth as ever Skyguy,” Ahsoka said leaning against the back of Anakin’s chair in the cockpit of _Starkiller_. 

“Let’s go,” Asajj rose from the co-pilot's seat and moved to the back of the ship.

Anakin followed after her with Ahsoka trailing him. The three pirates breached the airlock of the passenger ship and boarded silently. Braking onto a ship while it was making calculations for its next hyperspace jump and stealing anything valuable from the cargo hold all without being detected was the crew of the _Starkiller’s_ specialty.

Nothing of value seemed to be onboard in the ship's lower levels. With no sign of cargo or security the three thieves headed for the upper decks. They moved up several levels and still not encountering any security. Ahsoka said “It’s rather quiet?” looking about the carpeted halls as they reached the passenger levels still not having encountered anyone. 

“Too quiet, I’m going to go check out the forward,” Asajj said and took a left down the next hall.

“Let’s grab what we can and go,” Anakin turned for the hall that led to the emergency supplies. 

Ahsoka continued through several more corridors opening up rooms as she went but found no one. There were lots of sleeping quarters and bags inside many of them but no passengers. Ahsoka closed yet another door to quarters without occupants and called into her com “I haven’t seen anyone, do you think they abandoned the ship?”

“We may have just boarded a derelict,” Asajj’s voice crackled over the frequency. “The ships set to auto pilot and there’s no one in the cockpit.” 

“None of the life pods have been launched,” Anakin’s voice came back over the com. “If they left the ship they didn’t do it in a hurry.”

“All their things are still here. I don’t think they would have left those behind unless they were evacuating,” Ahsoka took another left and came into the main hall.

“So the crew didn’t abandon ship,” Asajj said “their last heading was _Coruscant._ ”

“We’re a long ways from _Coruscant,_ ” Anakin commented,

“So where’s the crew?” Ahsoka asked.

There was silence for a moment, “it doesn’t matter,” Asajj said “just keep an eye out.”

As Ahsoka opened the stateroom door she grimaced, and calling into her com said “I think I found the crew” the air had a strange tang to it as Ahsoka moved further into the stateroom.

“What do you mean Ahsoka?” Anakin’s voice over the com sounded slightly concerned.

“The crews in the stateroom, they're all dead.”

“Stay there, I’ll be up in a moment,” Anakin’s com clicked off.

Ahsoka started putting things into her bag that looked like they might be valuable. A few minutes later Anakin appeared in the stateroom. He paused as he saw the dead crew. Almost all of them were dressed in some kind of uniform and they were aliens from some planet Anakin didn’t know. Those who were not wearing uniforms were very well dressed and all were clutching their throats. 

“I don’t like this, grab anything worth something and let’s get going,” Anakin said. They took a few minutes to strip the room of its valuables before Asajj’s voice came crackling over the ship's intercom.

“The ship's air readout in that room isn’t right, gets out of there."

Anakin and Ahsoka had just turned to leave when a slight bumping sound from a closet caught their attention. Anakin shifted the body of a very well dressed alien from in front of the door who looked to be the owner of the ship if Anakin had to guess and pressed the release one hand on his lightsaber. Inside was a blue and white astro-mech.

“What you hiding in there for?” Anakin asked, the droid gave a law whistle and rocked in a response they didn’t understand. “Come on out of there,” Anakin took a step back and gestured to the droid. The droid followed and Anakin and Ahsoka quickly left the stateroom.

“Someone pumped toxic gas into that stateroom,” Asajj said as she strapped into the co-pilot’s seat of _Starkiller’s_ cockpit minutes later.

“Where lucky it had dissipated,” Anakin said,

“It’s not luck, that gas is only toxic for Ruttrays,”

“Let’s get out of here,” Ahsoka said, taking one of the rear seats in the cabin, “I don’t like it.”

“Prepare for detach,” Anakin said as he flipped switches, maneuvered their smaller craft away from the larger one they had just scavenged.

“Who do you think they were?” Ahsoka asked as Asajj put in the next destination to the computer.

“I’d be more interested in who killed them,” Anakin said,

“Probably someone with influence and enough credits to hire a good assassin,” was Asajj's guess.

“You’re probably right,” Anakin agreed,

“But why kill a ship full of people and then leave everything of value behind?” Ahsoka didn’t understand the logic.

“It’s none of our business, so let’s get going shall we?” Anakin put one hand on the hyperdrive controls. 

“Yes, lets,” Asajj said,

Anakin punched the light-speed and a moment later they were lurching into star lines and were clear of the dead ship.


	2. ABANDON CRESSILL

The security holo shown to Obi-wan Kenobi Jedi Knight and his compatriot master Adi Galia added nothing new to what the report on Senator Glush’s death had already told the Jedi.

“What is so important about this droid?” Adi asked looking up from the halo recording. 

“A report was being prepared for the senate. Senator Glush was bringing back evidence that would defeat the creation of a republic army which is currently being debated in the senate,” Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan said. They stood cloistered in his private office at the senate building Senators Padmé Amidala and Mon Mothma with them.

“Senator Glush’s death is just another attempt to push this creation of an army bill through the senate. Whatever was in the report he was bringing us it was important enough to kill over,” Padmé said. 

Obi-Wan could see that she was still full of the same determination she had been full of eight years ago when the Naboo blockade had taken place then under her rule as queen. 

“Senator Glush told me he was keeping the report inside the asto-mech Padmé lent him. And that should he be killed that the droid be brought to this committee,” Mon said.

“I see, and you have petitioned the Jedi counsel to help you find this droid?” Obi-Wan asked. “I must remind you that the Jedi are not here to play politics, our involvement in this matter cannot be political”.

“We understand that,” Padmé said “but these pirates have stolen documents important to the safety of the Republic. all we ask is that you seek out these pirates and retrieve the documents. We will be fully responsible for any part this information may play in politics,” Padmé assured.

“The Jedi counsel has agreed to look into this matter and will update this committee as soon as we know anything,” Adi said.

“Thank you,” Padmé said.

“Yes thank you,” Bail added.

Once out of the senators office Obi-Wan turned to Adi and said “I don’t like it; it feels like we're getting involved in things that are none of the Jedi’s affairs”.

“Perhaps we are, however, a man has been killed and I think it’s important to find out why?” Adi replied. “It may have something to do with the recent life attempts made on Senator Amidala”.

“It would seem that the two could be connected,” Obi-Wan agreed. 

Finding information on the pirates that had the R2 unit was not easy. They had been operating for only a few years and so far had kept a fairly low profile.

“There’s not much to go on, but they seemed to be based primarily out of _Cressill_ , we might start there.” Obi-Wan said looking up from his screen in the Jedi archives, Adi agreed.

* * *

The atmosphere was warm on _Cressill_ , dusty between the blooming oases which were dotted all across the planet every few hundred meters. Ahsoka had finished selling the last of her grab and having pocketed her money headed back through the many open air markets to find Skyguy and Asajj. 

Ahsoka had been with them for a long time now; before she had met them she had been in an offal factory on one of the many outer rim planets. Anakin and Asajj had swiped her from the factory freeing her from being little better than a slave. Ahsoka still remembered the first time she’d seen Skyguy. He’d seemed so tall then and she guessed he must have been. Back then when she’d met Anakin and Asajj Ahsoka had known, just known, there was something different about them. If she had had a family in the past she couldn’t remember them now. After years with Anakin and Asajj on the _Starkiller_ running across the galaxy, Ahsoka really didn’t want to be anywhere else, they were her family now. Asajj was the leader and head of the family, Anakin was the pilot and had made Ahsoka into a kid sister of sorts and had taken the forefront of her training in the force. 

Reaching where she had left Anakin and Asajj sitting under one of the many canopies set up around the different oases, Ahsoka took a seat on one of the many crates. Asajj was drinking something hard and sitting on one half of a crate back to back with Anakin while he sat on the other side fiddling with R2D2, the little astro-mech they’d found on the dead ship.

“Stop fooling with that droid and get something to drink, your two behind,” Asajj said.

“Or your two ahead of me,” Anakin grunted as he tried to make the droid release something that was jammed in its innards.

“Either way I’m winning,” Asajj took another shot.

“Sold my stuff,” Ahsoka said,

“Did you get a good price?” Anakin asked still messing with the droid,

“Not really, there’s not much demand for socket covers around here, how about either of you?”

“We’ll have enough to keep us going a while more,” Asajj said. 

“and you Skyguy?” Ahsoka asked Anakin who was scrapping a tool inside the droid now. 

“Got the usual, but you're right there’s not much demand for the things we got off that ship. Too bad it wasn’t carrying any cargo. It was the easiest score we’ve had in a long time,” Anakin finally got the jammed thing out of the droid. “There,” Anakin said holding up a round data disk.

“Happy with your new droid?” Asajj asked,

“I think so,” Anakin said. 

The last one they’d had on _Starkiller_ had been accidentally left behind during a very sudden get away from one of the hotter ships they’d boarded, and Anakin had been a little upset at its loss. As far as Ahsoka could tell the protocol droid, which had held very little functional use on board _Starkiller_ , had been something sentimental for Anakin. That had been months ago now, and as C3PO hadn’t turned up anywhere they had assumed it was deactivated or working for someone new now. Either way Anakin had been keeping his eye out for a new droid. 

“Well at least this one will be more useful to us on the _Starkiller,_ ” Asajj said she leaned her back against Anakin’s and gave a sigh, “it’s not bad around here at noon, maybe I’ll take a nap”. Her blue eyes had only shut a moment when suddenly they snapped open again, She sat up tensing, the other two had as well, the force was telling them something was wrong.

* * *

Count Dooku could not believe that the data disk had once again slipped through his fingers. The existence of the clone army could not be discovered yet. The data disk that senator Glush had taken with him from Kimino was full of information that could damn the entire war before it even started. It was a fluke that the senator had even found the planet, only stopping there after his ship was damaged to get a few minor repairs. 

As Dooku understood it now, the data disk was somewhere in the possession of pirates, and he couldn’t touch the matter himself. Being far too recognizable at the moment after Senator Padmé Amidala had been pointing the finger at him over resent assassination attempts on her life. Though she was not wrong, it made handling delicate situation without unwanted attention a little harder. Instead Dooku sent Castas after the pirates. He was the same bounty hunter that Dooku had sent after Senator Glush and who had also failed to retrieve the data disk. Dooku was giving him a second chance.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Adi moved through the streets of _Cressill_ , the planet was dusty and wet at the same time. The many oases that were spotted around made the ground muddy and soft by the pool's edges, while the ground further away was hard and backed by the sun. The air was warm with enough moisture to make things pleasant, but not enough to be humid and uncomfortable. If the planet hadn’t been a backwater in pirate infested space, Obi-Wan could easily see it becoming a resort planet for the rich and powerful of the galaxy.

However, as it was a backwater and not a resort, Obi-Wan and Adi kept their wits about them as they moved through the streets and open air markets, which sold as far as Obi-wan could tell, just about anything.

“Over there,” Adi said pointing to where three beings sat who matched the holos of the pirates, given to them by the senators. 

“Alright let's go in slow so as not to spook them and see if we can just talk with them,” Obi-Wan said.

“Agreed,” Adi nodded.

The two Jedi moved forwards with intent but slowly enough not to spook their quarry into running.

* * *

Asajj noted the two strangers walking through the market, something was not right about them, “I think we should run,” she said.

“I agree,” Anakin said but there was something familiar about the man walking through the marketplace. Anakin could not say what, but he felt as if he’d met the bearded man before.

“Back to the _Starkiller_?” Ahsoka asked, 

“Yes,” Asajj said, all three were spooked now, something didn’t feel right. At that moment a blaster bolt came from above and slammed into Ahsoka’s shoulder. It was a grazing blow, she’d moved to one side just an instant before it had hit her. Ahsoka fell forwards and grabbed her shoulder with a cry. 

“Ahsoka!” Anakin and Asajj both called, Ahsoka was up a moment later as a second bolt came from a rooftops across the square. Leaping up from where they had been crouching behind the boxes Anakin yelled. 

“Come on,” to the droid and all three pirates crouching low ran into the now milling crowd around them.

* * *

Castas refocused his snoopers rifle but he’d lost them in the crowd, cursing to himself Castas lifted his rifle and headed down from his vantage point on foot to try and cut them off at the docks.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Adi had seen the blaster fire open up on the three pirates; they had also seen the pirates disappear into the crowd. “Great,” Obi-Wan said, looking around the panicked being milling around now. Half of which had their own blasters out and were running for cover. “Where have they gone?” he added trying to see through the swarm.

“Over there,” Adi said pointing to the shipyard; she’d caught a glimpse of the orange and white togruta girl. Obi-Wan and Adi ran into the fray, jumping over fallen stands and canopies knocked over by the running sentient, the two Jedi made for the space port.

* * *

Anakin jumped into the pilot's chair and started warming up _Starkiller’s_ engines, “who the hell was that?” he asked Asajj as he flipped switches. 

“I don’t know, they had a sniper working with them whoever they where, that stupid protocol droid must have told someone who he used to work for,” Asajj snarled.

“but who?” Ahsoka asked, her voice a little pained as she sat down one hand still holding her shoulder. Asajj grabbed the med-kit and helped Ahsoka take care of the wound. 

“I don’t know, I feel like I’ve seen that one fellow before,” Anakin paused a moment, thinking of the face of the bearded man, where had he seen him before? 

“Well I’m good with not catching up,” Asajj said.

Anakin lifted _Starkiller_ into the air and headed for the horizon and space “let’s just get out of here, it’s too hot,” Anakin agreed.

* * *

Castas, being too late to catch the pirates at the docks turned to his three assassin droids and said “Let’s get going, maybe we can catch them in vector”.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Adi had just reached the space port when they saw the small freighter ship start to rise from the landing platform. It matched the markings of the one that had stolen the droid carrying the senator’s data disk. “Come on,” Adi called to Obi-Wan as she ran up the ramp of the smaller Jedi craft that was docked not far away. 

Anakin was heading for deep space while Asajj found them a course, when suddenly the ship was rocked by a hit to its rear. Everyone inside was jerked about and Anakin struggled to right the craft. “What?” he said checking his instruments “There’s another ship behind us, no two”.

“And there firing, Anakin fly evasive,” Asajj ordered checking the instruments herself. 

“I’ll man the back lazer cannon,” Ahsoka rose from her seat and moved to the back of _Starkiller_.

“I need a route?” Anakin’s voice was a little strained as he flew to avoid a second hit from the ship following them. 

“Working on it,” Asajj said, bent over the screen trying to find them a place to jump to.

“They're trying to take out our hyper-drive,” Anakin said as he realized the attackers were only targeting that section of _Starkiller’s_ aft.

“Its bounty hunters,” Ahsoka’s voice crackled over the intercom, “and the Jedi,” she added a moment later, “I don’t have a clean shot, stop rocking the ship”.

“Asajj, do you have that route yet?” Anakin was straining to keep _Starkiller_ from being pulverized.

“In a moment, I’m trying to find one with a beach,” she quipped back, Anakin gave a cocky smile at her sarcasm.

“Well in that case, take all the time you want, just make sure it’s got a kiddie pool for Snips, you know how she _loves_ to swim,” Anakin said sarcastically.

“Hay, I do love to swim, you’re the one who’s afraid of water,” Ahsoka’s indignant voice came over the com.

“Will do,” Asajj said “alright I have one, punch it”.

Anakin followed her orders and a moment later they were gone out of range of the Jedi and their bounty hunters ships.

* * *

Obi-Wan watched as the ship they were following jumped to light speed and vanished. “Lock on to their vector” Obi-Wan said, 

Adi was already doing it and took a moment then said “they’re heading for the _Kryy_ system”

“Then so will we,”

“Who do you think the attackers are?” Adi asked, looking out the view screen at the ship that had been firing on the pirates.

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said “and I don’t think we’ll get a chance to ask, though I doubt we’ve seen the last of them. They seem to be after the pirates as well,” he added as the ship in the Jedi’s view jumped to hyperspace and vanished.

“Well we’ll just have to beat them to it” Aid said and a moment later they too were in pursuit of the pirates.


	3. GETTING A HEADING

Anakin, Asajj and Ahsoka sat in the main cabin of _Starkiller._ “Do you think that’s the last we’ll see of them?” Ahsoka asked, already knowing the answer. 

“I doubt it,” Anakin said, leaning back in his chair.

“I can’t see how we warrant such attention,” Asajj said “were not exactly important”.

The three sat quietly a moment.

“I couldn’t ever see anyone connected with one of our past jobs sending, or paying for that matter, a bounty hunter,” Anakin said.

“Well as far as I know we haven’t screwed anyone in connection with the Jedi so why are they sending bounty hunters after us?” Asajj asked.

Anakin shrugged.

“They're probably locked on to our vector, let's drop out of hyperspace and get a new route,” Asajj stood and headed to the cockpit.

“Good idea, I need to see how much damage they caused,'' Anakin followed after her. It turned out that the hyperdrive had some minor damage and Anakin called up from the pit below the flooring to Asajj in the cockpit. “Looks like we’re going to need to replace a few things if we want to use her for much longer,” Anakin said. 

“How bad is it?” Asajj asked into the com.

“it’ll get us where we need to go, but I think if we try and jump her any further then the _Turay_ system she’ll give us trouble,” he called back.

“Alright, I’m setting course for _Brell-4,_ ” Asajj said and entered the route to the Nava-computer. 

Anakin stayed in the back fixing what he could on the ship and didn’t reappear until Asajj called that dinner was done. 

None of them were cooks really and so it was just food packs warmed up but it was better than nothing. “Here you are my dear,” she said handing Anakin a food pack.

“Ah, I see you’ve slaved over the stove for hours to make such a lovely meal,” he said accepting the pack with one hand, the back of which was smeared with grease.

“Glad you noticed,” Asajj said handing Ahsoka a pack, “who’s your shoulder?” she added as the Togruta took the food.

“Better, I think it’ll be healed in a few days, just a glancing blow, I guess I’m lucky they weren’t a better shot”.

“That wasn’t luck,” Asajj said “that was the force”.

“Be mindful of it, the force can save your life if you let it,” Anakin said. He remembered all the times it had saved his, pod racing as a child and then as a pirate with Asajj, before and after they’d found Ahsoka. 

“Yes teachers,” Ahsoka teased, then pausing a long moment and picking at her food pouch she added in a casual tone “so when do I get my own light-saber?”.

Asajj carried two, one she’d built herself and the other was her dead master’s, and Anakin had built one guided by the Jedi who’d trained him. But Ahsoka, so far, had not reserved a light-saber, even though she was proficient with one having practiced with both Asajj’s and Anakin’s light-sabers for years now.

Anakin and Asajj looked at each other for a moment, “I think she’s ready, she’s practiced with ours enough,” Anakin said, Asajj nodded.

“I think so,” in truth she was more than ready, but getting hold a proper light-saber crystal was difficult and they’d put it off. It wasn’t that they were trying to be Jedi, both Anakin and Asajj also carried blasters, the light-sabers were in many ways a holdover from the Jedi that had half trained them. There was also something about a light-saber that just fit with the force. Ahsoka had shown interest in having one since she had first seen Anakin and Asajj’s sabers in action.

“So I get one?” Ahsoka asked, one of her own, not just borrowing others but one of her own, the prospect was exciting.

“After we make repairs at _Brell-4_ we’ll take you to get a light-saber crystal, the design will be up to you,” Anakin said. Teaching the little Togruta, from a girl into a young woman, had been a sometimes hard experience, but Anakin felt a sense of pride in her as he saw how far she’d come in only a few years. She was more than ready to have a light-saber.

* * *

Obi-Wan sat in the cockpit of the Jedi craft, he was meditating on the pirates they were following. The freighter seemed to have dropped out of hyperspace at some point and made a new heading, where Obi-Wan did not know. It had been damaged and Obi-Wan had seen that, a map of nearby systems showed the most likely planets that the pirates would stop at for repairs.

“I get a feeling about _Brell-4,_ ” Obi-Wan said,

“Me too,” Adi agreed and set the route. 

“Master Galia, do you sense a disturbance in the force?” Obi-Wan had been sensing something strange in the force since before they had gone to _Cressill._ He felt it even stronger after _Cressill_. 

“You mean around those pirates?” she asked, Obi-wan nodded “yes, I do, there is something about them, the force seems to be unusually strong surrounding them, perhaps when we reach _Brell-4_ this mystery will be revealed,” Adi said.

“Yes perhaps,” Obi-Wan agreed.


	4. BRELL – 4

_Brell-4_ was a largely populated planet; it had a lot of cities and was best known in its own system for being the place where drawer pulls were made for the wealthy. The salty air was cool and moist from the many small seas dotted around the planet as the three pirates exited the _Starkiller_. 

“Anakin fix the ship, I’m going to the market to get supplies,” Asajj said tapping her younger companion on his shoulder with a long finger.

“Sure thing,” Anakin said.

Ahsoka stayed and helped Anakin fix the hyperdrive; it was not a hard job but time consuming. When Asajj got back they were still working on some parts of it.

“Well I said I wanted one with a beach,” Asajj mused. “The markets are full of these beautiful shells,” she commented as Anakin and Ahsoka worked in _Starkiller’s_ pit.

“At least you’re happy, did you get the location of _Ilum_?” Anakin asked.

“Yes, I had to buy an update to our map, however, I think we should have no trouble. The caves frozen at the moment so there won’t be any Jedi there,” Asajj hefted her bag of supplies in her arms.

“Cave?” Ahsoka looked from Anakin to Asajj, neither one had given her any details into what _Ilum_ was or how one actually went about getting a light-saber crystal. 

“You’ll see when you get there,” Anakin glanced at Asajj, both of them had gone to _Ilum_ separately and taken a crystal from the depth of the cave. They were not about to spoil the experience for Ahsoka now. Asajj gave Anakin a smile as they caught each other’s eyes.

“What’s that look about?” Ahsoka asked, knowing when something was up,

“You’ll see,” Anakin said, 

“What?” Ahsoka asked again,

“You’ll have to wait till we get to _Ilum,_ ” Asajj said, 

Also in the same secretive way Anakin had, as if they were keeping something really good from her.

“You’re the worst parents ever,” Ahsoka’s tone had a slight grumble to it,

“Hay, if where your parents then you need to listen to us more,” Anakin said, 

“Yes, respect your mother,” Asajj teased,

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, “you two are something else.”

* * *

When Obi-Wan and Adi landed on the _Brell-4_ they didn’t really know where to start. They let the force guide them as they walked slowly through the market and as they tried to find the pirates. 

The two Jedi had been walking through the markets for about an hour when they spotted the togruta. 

Ahsoka had gone to the market to get a stabilizer, one small part and they’d be done with the repairs on _Starkiller_ and on their way to _Ilum_. Her own light-saber, the idea excited her and also made her feel grown up. It was a lot of responsibility to have a light-saber and it showed that both Anakin and Asajj trusted her to handle it. Her own light-saber it was going to be fantastic, amazing what would it look like, what color would it be? Anakin had a blue one and Asajj were both green.

As Ahsoka picked up the stabilizer and turned to head back to _Starkiller_ she caught sight of the two Jedi from _Cressill_. Ahsoka didn’t like the look of them; she started moving back towards the docks keeping an eye on them.

Obi-Wan and Adi saw the togruta and were headed towards her when she started moving faster, they picked up their speed. Adi called “Wait youngling!”.

Ahsoka had no intention of waiting for them; instead she started running back through the markets towards the docks.

Asajj was watching Anakin as he put the last few things in place on the ship, “now all we have to do is wait for Ahsoka to bring back that stabilizer, where is she anyway?” he asked.

“Here I am,” Ahsoka called as she ran onto the ship, “and we got company, get us out of here, those Jedi from _Cressill_ are following me,” Ahsoka said, stabilizer in hand.

Anakin pulled himself out of the ship's pit and said “Ahsoka get that part installed,” and headed for the cockpit. Asajj moved to the back where the gunners’ turret was. “I’ll give them something to think about,” Asajj said.

“Make sure your not hitting civilians,” Anakin called back to her,

“Alright, alright,” was all she responded. 

Adi and Obi-Wan came into the shipyard a few minutes after Ahsoka had, the togruta was nowhere in sight but the pale colored ship known as the _Starkiller_ was sitting in the bay before them.

“Come on,” Obi-Wan said, heading for the ramp that was starting to lift, a moment later Obi-Wan jumped aside a second before one of the ship's guns fired on him. 

Adi and Obi-Wan jumped again as a second blast from the ship aimed their way; they had barely gotten to their feet when a third blast rocked the docking bay. Only this one was not from the pirate ship but was some kind of rocket exploding on the _Starkiller’s_ hull aimed from somewhere above. Obi-Wan looked up and found that the bounty hunter had finally made another appearance. 

It was fortune and the force that Anakin had raised the shields before the rocket hit them. _Starkiller_ rocked to one side from the impact and the three occupants of _Starkiller_ yelled as the ship lurched to one side for a moment.

“Ahsoka get that part installed!” Anakin yelled down the corridor,

“I'm trying!” Ahsoka yelled back,

“Hold it steady,” Asajj hissed through the com, she was trying not to hit any of the civilians. “Anakin stop jerking the ship around.”

Anakin lifted the _Starkiller_ up and headed for the horizon for the second time in just a few days. 

“Ahsoka?” he called feeling the tension as they rose closer to open space, 

“Got it, the parts installed get us out of here,” Ahsoka said jumping out of the pit and running up to the front. Taking the co-pilot's seat she strapped, Asajj took a seat in row behind, the ship rocked slightly as the last rocket from the bounty hunter tried to shoot them down. There was a whistling scream from the pit where the little blue and white astro-mech was as _Strarkiller_ rocked again. 

Reaching open space Anakin jumped the _Starkiller_ out of the system in a short hyperspace leap then pulled them out near a small moon a system and a half away and letting the ship drift to the dark side of the moon, he said “alright we're clear.”

Asajj leaned forwards and proffered a data disk similar to the one that Anakin currently had in his quarters that had been found in the R2 unit.

“The map to _Ilum,_ ” she said, Ahsoka took the disk and updated _Starkillers_ navigational map and she set the route.

Obi-Wan had not gotten a good look at the bounty hunter that had been firing rockets at the pirate ship, but he was prepared to bet that the bounty hunter was the same unseen one as before.

Fortunately Adi and Obi-Wan were unharmed from either pirate or bounty hunters attacks. Obi-Wan noted that there didn’t seem to be anyone hurt and the damage in the docking bay seemed to be minimal for the most part. 

“I think we need to report back to the Jedi temple and get a new track on our pirates,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I agree, these pirates are very slippery,” Adi mused, there seemed to be something else at play. Whatever was on that data disk it is worth sending a bounty hunter after pirates. It seemed that the senators were correct when they said it was worth killing over. 

“I think we need a different approach. Maybe if we find some way to send a message to these pirates first they won’t keep running away before we have a chance to talk,” Obi-Wan said.

“Agreed, pirates are usually more interested in a profit, not so much in information, they may be interested in sealing the data disk to the senators,” Adi said.

“Either way we need to discuss this with the council and the senators if it should come to paying for the disk,” Obi-Wan turned with Adi and headed back to their ship. 


	5. THIEVES IN ILUM

_Ilum_ was a cold wintery planet with harsh wind that blowing over its icy surface. Ahsoka, Anakin and Asajj walking came to an ice cliff not far off from where _Starkiller_ had landed. Anakin’s teeth were almost chattering, he was from a warm planet, a very warm planet, Ahsoka knew and he didn’t like the cold. Stopping on the edge of the ice cliff Ahsoka wondered why they were out there. Both Asajj and Anakin stretched out one hand and said “in unison, reach out with the force and let it flow through you”.

Ahsoka stretched out one hand, reaching out. She struggled to grasp at the force, to feel it flowing through her. Glancing sideway Ahsoka looked for help from Anakin, he caught her eye and teeth chattering she watched, felt him close his eyes and relax. Ahsoka closed her eyes too and breathed in and out in and out as the snow blew around her. Fubling for it, Ahsoka found the force and grasping it she connected to Anakin and then Asajj. The cliff of ice shifted and sank into the ground revealing the entrance of some great building front that was carved into the ice and stone of the planet. Ahsoka suddenly felt in the force that this was not going to be like anything she had ever experienced before. 

Ahsoka followed Anakin and Asajj into the icy depths of the temple, the inside was massive, the ceiling rose up to what must have been the top of the cliff, there were two huge breathtaking statues of robed Jedi. The circular walls ringed in pillars that rose in tears upwards all carved from the icy stone. Ahsoka took a moment stunned by the impressive interior of the temple then breathed “What now?”

Asajj ignited her light-sabers and leaping into the air she slashed an X into a tall ice sheet that stood between the statues. Anakin reached out one hand and shattered the ice with the force. Revealing a cave entrance, turning to Ahsoka he said “you must go alone,”

“And hurry we don’t have all day,” Asajj said.

Ahsoka looked at the cave entrance then said “but what am I supposed to do?”

“Find your crystal in there, but it has to be the right one, there are many crystals but only one is yours,” Anakin said.

Ahsoka faced the cave and then entered, it was cold and there was nothing in the cave as far as she could see. There were no crystals glittering on the walls, going further into the maze of passages, Ahsoka kept coming across splits and turns but still no crystals. Her breath was starting to come faster now as she hurried down another turn, she had to get out quickly; she needed to find her crystal, she went turn after turn, but nothing.

* * *

Asajj leaned against the walls of the cool cave as she waited for Ahsoka to return. She glanced up at the tall statues of the Jedi, cold and foreboding, much like the real Jedi. Except for her master though, he had not been like the other Jedi. Ky Narec had not been cold, he had been kind, and when the other Jedi had left her planet to its own bloodshed, master Narec had found her, freed her from slavery and tried to stop the killing. He’d brought her to _Ilum_ when she was eight, the cave had been cold then, and the dark interior had seemed like it was full of places where you might never come out of again. But when she had found her crystal she had known the moment she saw it, touched it, that it was hers. And when she left the crystal cave the pride Asajj saw in Ky Narec’s eyes was something she would never forget. Asajj smiled to herself, just being back in the ice temple on _Ilum_ brought back memories of her old master that she had not thought about in a long time.

* * *

Ahsoka had taken one too many turns, she didn’t know how far she had gone into the cave and she knew there was no finding her way out now. She couldn’t see the light from the statue room, she couldn’t even remember how many turns right or left she had taken. But what scared Ahsoka more was that she could no longer sense Anakin. He was like a blazing light in the force and she could always since her Skyguy, but now, she had gone so far in she couldn’t feel his presence. Ahsoka felt her breath come quicker than ever and catch in her throat. The cave entrance was probably already lost forever; she would never find her way out now!

* * *

Anakin could feel the faint echoes of Ahsoka’s panic, he knew he couldn’t go in and help her but he had the urge to nevertheless. Ahsoka would be fine, he had been when he went into the cave, and that seemed now a very long time ago. Anakin sighed and glanced down at his light-saber hanging from his belt. It looked nothing like Qui-Gon’s but he had known that the shape was right when he had completed it. Qui-Gon had been a long time ago now, Anakin closed his eyes, he could still see the first time he’d met the Jedi master so clearly. Tall and impressive, with an alien and a pretty girl in the junk shop. When they’d left _Tatooine_ after Anakin had helped trick Watto into giving the Jedi the parts Anakin had thought he’d never see the Jedi again. But Qui-Gon had come back, and as Anakin would learn, in true Qui-Gon fission the Jedi had dropped in and out of Anakin’s life training him on the fly. In some ways Anakin knew Qui-Gon never really understood what being a slave was like. Why the Jedi had trained Anakin but left him in slavery? Anakin didn’t know. Watto had said Quo-Gon was crazy, Anakin thought it might have more to do with the fact that Watto would never seal him, and Qui-Gon had had no money and no power on the outer-rim. All the power had lain with Watto, Watto had been the slave owner, and when he had sold Anakin’s mother to a moisture-farmer Watto had all the power then too. Clige had been good to Anakin’s mom but that didn’t mean that at the age of 12 Anakin needed her any less. Suppressing the tight feeling that had welled up in his throat at the thought of his mom, Anakin tried not to remember the awful dreams he’d had about her, or when the dreams had become too real. Opening his eyes and focusing on the cold statue room around him. Anakin forced away the image in his mind’s eye of the _Tatooine_ desert at night. 

“You alright?” Asajj asked,

“Yeah,” Anakin said, his tone not fooling either of them. Asajj raised an eyebrow but didn’t challenge him for further details. Anakin’s every mercurial mood would change back to something light soon enough.

* * *

Ahsoka felt fear rising in her that she’d never find a crystal, or her way out, how many turns had she taken? Stopping in the dark passage Ahsoka took a calming breath and triad to remember she was in control, and said “no, calm down, listen to the force”. It was something silly that Anakin or Asajj had quoted from one of their masters but it worked. When she closed her eyes and reached out to the force she felt calmer. Ahsoka stood there a long time, until something prompted her to stretch out a hand and feel for her crystal. When she opened her eyes two crystals where hanging in the air before her, reaching out Ahsoka took them and as she touched the lighted stones they felt _right_. Ahsoka turned with the crystals and ran back to the cave entrance. Which somehow now was not impossible to find, even in all the twists and turns. 

When she came back out of the cave Anakin and Asajj both came forward to her, “I found them,” Ahsoka said, holding out her hands to show the crystals.

“Good,” Asajj said,

“You’ve done well Ahsoka, now you can construct your own light-sabers,” Anakin put a proud hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder. “Let’s get back to _Starkiller,_ ” Anakin added. Now that Ahsoka had passed the crystal cave, he wanted to get back to somewhere warmer.

“Hang on a minute, I have an idea,” Asajj said looking back at the crystal cave.

* * *

The Jedi counsel watched as the holo image of the temple on _Ilum_ showed the desecration again. It was shocking enough that the pirates would have dared to break into _Ilum_ , but entering the crystal cave, and doing it with the aid of the force was something the council had not been expecting. 

“These are not regular pirates,” Obi-Wan said via holo from the ship he and Adi were on.

“These pirates have gone too far,” Master Mace Windu said he was watching the holo of the pirates as they lounge around the cave entrance of _Ilum_ while they waited for the togruta to come back from within. 

“It looks to me like they’re having some sort of strange initiation ceremony, which strongly resembles the rights of passage for a Jedi padawan when they get their light-saber crystals,” Obi-wan said. as he watched the holo as the togura came back out of the cave, and then all three went into the cave and came back out with a small box of crystals, stolen from the interior of the cave.

“They appear to be just plain robbers,” Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

“More there is to this, than meets the eye,” Master Yoda mused as the Jedi council watched the holo replay again.

* * *

Ahsoka built both of her light-sabers from the many spare parts that Anakin and Asajj had collected over the years.

She was proud of them and wore them on her belt; she’d already got to break them in with a few sparring sessions with Anakin and Asajj.

“These crystals are worth a fortune on the black market,” Asajj said looking at the small box they’d taken from the cave.

“Does that mean we're going to stop pirating?” Ahsoka asked, there would be no need to stay pirates after the sale they would have enough credits to retire. Somehow Ahsoka had always got the feeling that pirating didn’t settle well with Anakin on some deeper level, even though he never let on.

Anakin and Asajj looked at her and then at each other a moment, Asajj had not actually thought that far. Stop pirating? That was something she had not considered. She’d spent all of her life until the Jedi found her being someone else’s property and after the Jedi’s death, buffeted about the galaxy until she’d happened on _Tatooine_. She’d felt a presence in the force and a dark blooming in it, pain, suffering like she had not felt since her master had been killed, but radiating through the force with unbelievable power. Asajj had fallen into piracy because she’d met Anakin; they’d both wanted off the planet and stolen a pirate ship. The cargo had still been on board and after sealing it they’d gotten the idea of just continuing on. Anakin had re-dubbed the ship the _Starkiller_ and they’d just become pirates. There had been no plan for starting so there was never a plan for stopping. The chance to stop had never accrued to her, the idea of stealing light-saber crystals had not accrued to her until they had been standing in the cave of _Ilum_. Things happened and situations changed, but there had never been any kind of plan, _maybe_ , it was possible to stop.

Anakin too had not been expecting the idea that they could retire, what would they do, Anakin had never really made plans he just reacted. After his dreams about his mother and finding her dead, Anakin had killed the sand people but he had not planned to, he had just reacted. Anakin had not really planned on meeting Asajj or stealing a ship with her, things had just fallen into place like that. Actually giving long term thought to a future… well Anakin had done that when he was a child, he’d always wanted to be a star pilot and help people. Helping people was something that was a kid’s dream on _Tatooine_ and he’d realized the dream of becoming a star pilot. But now a chance at something else, what would that even look like?

“I never really considered i,t” Anakin finally said breaking the long silence.

Asajj shrugged “me neither,”

“So what are we going to do?” Ahsoka asked.

“We're going to sell the crystals first, then we’ll talk about what we’re going to do next after that,” Asajj said/

“Sounds good to me,” Ahsoka said, taking her seat from where she’d been leaning against Anakin’s chair. “So where do we sell the crystals?”.

“I have an idea about that, _Coruscant_ is a big place and so is the black market I hear,” Anakin suggested.

“I like it,” Asajj said, 

“Me to,” Ahsoka added.

“I knew you would,” Anakin gave a cocky smile pleased with himself.

* * *

Obi-Wan sat in the Jedi temple pondering the pirates, stealing important information in connection to the creation of a military act that was being fought over in the senate right now. That it seemed was harmless on the pirate’s part, Obi-Wan was sure that the pirates didn’t know what they had; they’d simply stolen a droid. But then it seemed that these pirates had been trained in the ways of the force, and now we're stealing light-saber crystals, the crystals were worth a fortune and would not be hard to unload on any number of systems. 

Obi-Wan looked up at Adi as she appeared next to him in the archives, “the senators are hoping to have an update on the data disk?” she said.

“Well, as we don’t have anything to tell them I suppose the update will be rather brief,” Obi-Wan rose from his seat.

* * *

The group of senators were gathered in Padmé’s office, Bail Organa was listening as Jedi Knight Kenobi reported on the pirates.

“So you have nothing?” was Bail's pronouncement when the Jedi had finished, 

“At the moment, the pirates have proven difficult to trace down,” Obi-Wan said.

“And you say they’ve stolen light-saber crystals?” Padmé asked. It was not something Padmé knew much about. “I supposed that those crystals are probably quite valuable?” she added. The beginnings of a plan were forming in her mind,

“Yes, they are,” Obi-Wan said. "And usually quite hard to come by,” he added.

“Then these pirates are still in possession of the data disk you think?” Bail asked,

“Yes, as far as we are aware they still have your droid,” Obi-Wan said.

“Thank you master Kenobi, we appreciate your effort on our behalf,” Padmé said. 

Once the Jedi had left the office, Bail looked at Padmé and said “the pirates we’re looking for are in possession of rare and valuable crystals,”

“Yes, this is concerning,” Padmé said.

“If the pirates have something so valuable they are going to try and seal it, the underworld of _Coruscant_ is one of the largest, I would bet that these pirates will try sealing them here,” Bail said.

“Are you suggesting that we investigate the matter ourselves?” Mon asked.

“Yes I am, the Jedi are very busy trying to put out fires as quickly as the Separatists light them. We need the information now, the vote can’t be put off forever, and if we investigate, with more beings just looking, we’ll have a better chance at actually getting the information,” Bail said.

“I must admit I was thinking along these same lines,” Padmé said.

“Then it’s agreed,” Bail said firmly 

“Agreed,” Padmé said

Mon nodded “yes agreed”.


	6. LEVEL 13-12 THE UNDERWORLD

The lower levels of _Coruscant_ were dirty, scummy and like a larger version of many places Ahsoka had seen on multiple other worlds she’d visited. They walked through the filthy streets of level 13-12, Asajj led them to a cantina, “I heard that someone who buys unique items frequents this place quite often”.

“Keep your wits about you,” Anakin said turning to Ahsoka.

“Got it Skyguy, same to you,” she replied.

“Both of you keep your wits about you. I don’t need to rescue anyone from a bar brawl,” Asajj raised a finger to her two compatriots. 

They entered the cantina and split up. Asajj started looking around the booths for a rodian while Anakin went to the bar with Ahsoka and ordered drinks and kept an eye out. 

“These prices are outrageous.” Ahsoka grumbled, taking her drink and sipping it while Anakin paid the bartender and took his own.

“It’s a big planet, everything gets more expensive the closer to the core you get,” Anakin said.

“And as this is the capital this is as high and as law as it goes,” Ahsoka muttered. Anakin just smiled giving a little laugh. 

Padmé, Bail and Mon had been following leads that had been well paid for from their many contacts. The rumors were that if you had anything high priced and hard to get hold of a certain rodian was the being you unloaded them with. However, the senators had been to five bars so far and nothing had turned up.

“He sure does get around the bar scene,” Padmé commented. The rodian was supposed to frequent all the bars they’d checked over the last hours. 

“We can’t give up” Bail said, “we can’t risk that bill passing”.

“Padmé,” Mon said “isn’t that your droid?” she asked pointing to the blue and white astro-mech that was sitting near the bar of the most recent cantina they had entered. 

Padmé looked at the droid for a moment then said “yes, I think that is”.

“If that’s the droid then it’s going to have the data disk in it,” Bail said. The three senators converged on the droid. The little astro-mech whistled at Padmé’s approached, glancing at the bar Padmé saw the togruta girl and the tall pirate from the security holo that the Jedi had shown them.

“Is the data disk still in the droid?” Bail asked.

Padmé bent down and checked R2’s data slot, “no, the data disk is gone,” Padmé whispered back.

“Then they must have it,” Mon glanced at the pirates.

“Hay what are you doing with our droid?” the togruta girl asked an accusing question turning around in her seat, the very tall young man with her turned as well.

“Can we help you?” he asked.

“Yes, this is my droid that was stolen from me a few weeks ago,” Padmé said pointing at the blue and white droid.

“Your mistaken,” the young man said out of hand.

“No I’m not. This is my droid and he was carrying something important, a data disk, I want it back,” Padmé said.

Ahsoka and Anakin gave each other a glance then Anakin said “it’s not your droid, but… what’s so important about the droid you lost?”

Bail had to admit the pirates were cocky, denying that stolen goods, found by their owners were not stolen, they could be politicians.

“The data that my droid was carrying was important to me… politically,” Padmé said after a moment.

“We are willing to pay,” Bail said carefully, “for the information that we know you are holding?” he added, watching the two pirates carefully.

“We don’t deal with people we don’t know,” Ahsoka said she didn’t want to get involved with beings who knew they had stolen the droid. 

Anakin was watching the short women wearing a blue outfit. She was pretty and Ahsoka had a feeling that Anakin had noticed. 

“Maybe something can be arranged anyway,” Mon suggested,

Anakin gave Ahsoka a sideways glance and caught the look in her eye, Ahsoka twitched her head slightly to either side. “Sorry, I don’t think we can help,'' Anakin said.

The motion had not escaped Bail, the pirates were getting jumpy. 

Asajj came over to the bar followed by a rodian, “alright we got our buyer, who’re they?” she eyed the senators.

“Haven’t gotten names,” Anakin said.

“There saying that Anakin’s droid is there’s,” Ahsoka said.

“Clearly you’re wrong, this is not the droid you’re looking for,” Asajj said waving one hand in the air.

“No, this is my droid,” Padmé insisted,

It was clear to the three pirates that these particular beings were strong minded and that mind tricks were not going to work on them.

Mon could see that things were starting to escalate, the pirates were getting nervous. “Perhaps we can all sit down and talk over drinks?” Mon looked from one pirate to another, “we’ll buy,” she added. 

Asajj leaned into Anakin and said “what’s going on?”

“They won’t that data disk found in R2,” he muttered back. Ahsoka leaned in from her seat keeping one eye on the senators and said.

“I don’t like it, they seem… important. I don’t want to get caught up in whatever they're doing”.

“Maybe they’ll pay us for it?” Asajj said.

“Maybe they’ll just call the authorities on us for stealing it in the first place,” Anakin reminded her.

“They don’t seem to be interested in taking our offer,” Mon muttered to Bail.

“Maybe we should call the authorities?” Padmé suggested quietly.

All three senators didn’t want to do that though, it always got more complicated when the authorities got involved and the data disk would get caught up in evidence and the legal process until after the vote, by that point the information on the disk would be useless. 

“Let’s just wait a moment,” Bail said and turned to Asajj who seemed to be both the eldest and the leader said “we are willing to pay handsomely for the disk, and forget we ever saw you”.

The three pirates looked at him and then Asajj asked “How much are we talking?”

Suddenly without warning Anakin jumped to his feet and said “down!” grabbing Asajj and Ahsoka by the wrist. It was an unnecessary movement, they’d both already grabbed him and all three were heading for the floor of the bar. Bail, Mon and Padmé felt themselves hit by an invisible force which knocked them to the floor of the bar as a series of laser blasts came spraying in through the door and exploded above their heads.

“Go!” Ahsoka yelled as the pirates leapt to their feet pulling light-sabers as they went. Anakin deflected a bold back out the door towards the three assassin droids that stood there firing rifles into the bar indiscriminately. 

“I’m getting tired of this!” Anakin growled over the noise of the small battle. 

Asajj leapt over the senators, Ahsoka followed her and attacked the droids. 

The pirates tore through the metal bodies; their light-sabers melting metal limbs into slag and then disappeared into the _Coruscant_ underworld.


	7. TRACK DOWN

The light-saber crystals were not hard to unload, the rodian buyer had survived the bar attack and bought the entire hall. Anakin, Asajj and Ahsoka were now on _Starkiller_ holding more credits then they’d even seen in their lives.

“Here it is, three ways perfectly,” Asajj said. Looking down at the credits divide up on the main cabin’s table. 

“What now?” Ahsoka said.

“Back to the outer-rim,” Anakin said.

“Sounds good. I don’t like the inner core that well,” Asajj stood from her seat.

“Why are we going out there?” Ahsoka asked. Anakin had a funny look on his face and he seemed to be thinking about something important.

“I got something I need to do,” was all Anakin said.

* * *

 _Tatooine_ was a hot planet. Ahsoka had never actually been to the planet but the boiling heat was something that reminded her of other worlds they’d been too. The binary suns blazed in the sky as the three pirates stepping off of _Starkiller_ just outside a small cluster of buildings. 

“Oh… it’s hot out here,” Ahsoka squinted at the cloudless sky,

“We’re not retiring here,” Asajj said looking around at the sand that stretched out in all directions with no end. 

Anakin had never intended to come back to the planet, he’d been gone for years and the memory of his mother’s death still stung at him from every grain of sand. “I’ll only be a minute,” he said. His always changing mood had become taciturn, “and then we’re gone for good,” he added heading to the energy fence that bordered the property. Deactivating it with the force Anakin was met at the house door by two men who came running outside with blaster rifles. 

Asajj and Ahsoka stayed by the ramp of _Starkiller_ and watched as the two men; clearly a father and son, lowered their rifles and talked with Anakin for a few minutes. He took something out of his belt pouch and handed it to the older man, then more talking and Anakin came back to the ship’s ramp putting the energy fence back up as he left with a flick of the switch visible on a post just inside the fence's border. 

“Ready?” Asajj asked.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Anakin said. His mood still quiet, it wasn’t until they were in space that Anakin turned to Ahsoka and said “so where do we go?” his mood was somewhat lighter now that they were off the planet.

She thought for a moment then said “I don’t know, is there a next job?”

Asajj was silent a moment then said “I don’t think so, not for a while, we seemed to have attracted a lot of undo attention of late, we’re going to hang low for a bit”.

“I don’t care as long as it’s not hot, put the computer on random and pick anywhere,” Ahsoka said.

Anakin did so and the planet that came up was _Farrth_ , a relatively quiet little planet according to its bio in the nava-computer. 

* * *

The three senators sat in Padmé’s office, “I think if those assassin droids had not shown up we could have made a deal with the pirates,” Mon said.

“You’re probably right” Bail agreed “there has to be some way to find them?”

“I got it,” Padmé said “that rodian that was with the woman. I would bet he’s a known criminal on _Coruscant._ If we find him, he might know where we can find the pirates”.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll start looking into that” Mon said and rising from the chair she left the office. It took Mon only a few hours to come up with a name and place to find the rodian". Bail suggested that this time they take along one of the Jedi if possible.

* * *

The fence lived in the lower levels of _Coruscant_ , level 11-10 and his shop was full of all manner of unique things. Many of the things looked expensive and Bail was sure that they had cost the roadian a lot of credits. Bail was also sure that most or all were properly stolen. An _Alderaanian_ panting coat Bail’s eye, it would have been quite pricey normally, on the black market he didn’t know what it would fetch. 

“How can I help you?” the rodian asked as they came into the shop.

“We’re looking for information?” Obi-Wan said “on these pirates?” he held up a holo of the three pirates from when they’d first grabbed the R2 unit.

“I don’t know them, you’ll have to cast your eye on something else,” the rodian said.

“Take another look” Adi said.

“We knew you had dealing with them,” Padmé cut in.

The rodian sneered and said “prove it”.

Obi-Wan pulled his light-saber out from under his robe and placed it on the counter, “do you really think we’d come all this way just to accuse you without evidence?” he asked. The rodian shook his head one eye watching the light-saber. 

“We’re not interested in you, tell us about the pirates and we’ll forget we saw you, this time,” Adi said.

“I don’t know much about them, they're a new start up about a few years back; I only ever heard of them, I didn’t meet them until recently. They’re known for pulling off impossible heights but always low end. Not much in the way of pickings where they fly around, I suppose. But then they come in here with a box of Jedi light-saber crystals, I gave those pirates a small fortune for them,” the rodian said. Obi-Wan noted the small box sitting behind the counter, the crystals were visible in the box.

“Where are they know,” Obi-Wan asked,

“I don’t know, someone’s put a bounty on them,” Rodian said eyeing the light-saber again. “I was almost killed. After that they left the planet, I don’t know where they went.” the rodian hesitated “I heard a rumor though, one of my buddies saw the _Starkiller_ , that’s their ship _,_ on _Farrth_ a few days ago”.

Obi-Wan nodded, “Thank you, you’ve been quite helpful,” raising one hand he called the box of crystals to him with the force and shutting the lid properly Obi-Wan turned and left the shop.

“Hey, those are my only crystals?” the rodain yelled after them,

“Not anymore,” Obi-Wan said in reply.


	8. ALL EYES ON FARRTH

The _Farrth_ system was a large one and many of the planets were used as agriculture and space ports for freighters traveling through to further systems. So it was not uncommon to see many strangers there, usually passing through quickly. It had proven quite difficult to find leads on the pirates.

The three had senators accompanied Obi-Wan and Adi to the _Farrth_ system. As they landed on _Farrth_ , they almost immediately got a lucky break. The _Starkiller_ was docked in the next bay over from them. The docking manager said that three crew members had paid three months mooring for it in advance. They also learned that the docking bay orderly had directed them to a housing unit lister in the city.

“So they intend to stay on the system for a while,” Obi-Wan stroked his beard with one hand.

“Well they won’t get away from us this time,” Adi said. Taking a tracking device from her belt and placing it on the hull of the ship. 

“Good thinking,” Obi-Wan commended and the small group headed into the city.

The Trandershan who listed housing units did remembered the pirates, “yeah, a human male, a female sabrac and a togruta. They came in here looking for a place to rent. I have listings you know, I sent them over to tenth street, there are lots of apartments over there, nice ones too,” the Trandershan said clearly trying to sell them something. After extracting themselves from the lizard that tried to rent them apartments they headed back out onto the street.

* * *

Anakin, Asajj and Ahsoka had rented a three room apartment with plenty of space in it. The apartment was bigger than anything any of them had ever had, Ahsoka vaguely remembered a much bigger room back when she had been very small but where that room was? She didn’t know now.

Laying low had worked, the last few days nothing had bothered them and Anakin and Asajj had relaxed. Ahsoka’s training had continued and she felt like she was starting to reach on level with Anakin and Asajj. That was a nice feeling to have, to feel less like a kid and more like an equal.

Anakin sat in the sun that was streaming through the windows, his head reclined over the back of the chair he was sitting in. Even with his eyes closed Ahsoka knew he wasn’t napping. Anakin liked the sun, and whether Skyguy admitted it or not he also got cold easier than anyone else she knew.

Smiling at the small peaceful moment that they’d managed to find, Ahsoka wondered who long it would last and if it could last forever? Glancing over at Asajj who was stretched out face first on the couch, Asajj was asleep, Ahsoka wondered if they could make a home for themselves on _Farrth_ or if not _Farrth_ some other system? 

It had never been an option before, to get a home, but now they had enough credits to go anywhere, get honest work and be a family, of sorts. Family and home, it seemed like those were the two things that the crew of _Starkiller_ had all been torn from in their previous lives and had now found in one another. 

* * *

Family and home, it seemed like those were the two things that no matter how many times he tried to hang on to them they were always ripped away from him. Anakin had a home once, he didn’t remember it but he knew his mother had not been born a slave, and his mother had been his family. Even when she was sold to Cleig and married the moisture-farmer, Anakin remaining behind at Watto’s shop, she’d still been his family. But after her death, Clieg and Own would always be connected to him in some way but they were not family the same way his mother had been. He’d never really known them, meeting Clieg and Own a handful of times when they’d come into Moss Espa. Was it possible now to settle down and get what he really wanted, a family, a home, to feel safe for once in his life and not have all of it ripped away from him?

* * *

Asajj had never had a home when she was young, the Nightsisters had sold her into slavery and once her master Ky Narrac had been killed, it seemed like everyone and every place she’d even carried about somehow managed to abandon her. She’d been left by so many people. Years ago it seemed impossible to see a future where Ahsoka and Anakin fit in very long. But they had stayed. She had the credits now, why not gamble on herself. Get a home and a family, and a life other than stealing for the lowest class of scum in the galaxy.

* * *

The Jedi approached the apartment building, the three senators unable to be put off, with them.

Obi-Wan and Adi came to the apartment and knocked on the door. It was answered by the young togruta. 

She hit the quick closed button on the door a moment later as she yelled “the Jedi are here!”

Anakin and Asajj jumped into action, Obi-Wan opened the door and entered the apartment with Adi and the senators. 

“We only want to talk, stop running!” Adi called to them,

Asajj had ignited her light-sabe’s, “run!” she called to the other two. 

“Split up,” Anakin called pulling out his own light-saber, he threw out a hand and every window in the apartment was shattered out. 

Ahsoka vaulted out a window carrying the case of credits away with her.

Asajj jumped out of a different window and headed back the way the Jedi had come from, Adi leaping out the window in pursuit a moment later.

Obi-Wan had made a move to follow the togruta but the young man had jumped into black him from following her.

Anakin had seen what a Jedi could actually do and he was not about to let Ahsoka face a fully trained Jedi on her own, not if he could help it.

Obi-Wan found that the boy had most definitely been trained in the Jedi arts. The young pirate swung his blue blade in an attack. It meet Obi-Wan’s, the young pirate managed to hold Obi-Wan back for a few minutes, but Obi-Wan had been properly trained by one of the Jedi’s best swordsmen.

Anakin realized he was getting into trouble much quicker then he could get himself out of it. The Jedi was out classing him and in a moment Anakin would be in some serious trouble. 

“I just want to talk to you,” Obi-Wan called to the young man over the sound of their light-saber blades hissing as the energy clashed. 

With a powerful shove of his blade Anakin gained some space between the Jedi and himself, “then talk!” Anakin said his anger had flared to the surface. “Who are you, why are you trying to kill us, if you want to talk then call off your bounty hunters,” Anakin held his light-saber at the ready but he didn’t attack again. 

Obi-Wan was overwhelmed a moment, he felt the force responding to the boy’s anger in a powerful way. Through the force Obi-Wan could feel a sour taint, Obi-Wan regained his focus and said “we aren’t trying to kill you-” his words were cut off by the pirate,

“Like hell!”

“We aren’t,” Bail said, “We want to make a deal with you” the senator didn’t step between the two saber wielding warriors; however, his authoritative tone eased some of the tension away from the situation.

“If you didn’t hire the bounty hunter then why have you been following us around the galaxy, and who did hire the bounty hunter?” Anakin asked.

“I don’t know who hired the bounty hunter, but I can only imagine that it was the same being that killed Senator Glush The being whose ship you robbed the R2 unite from. where you inadvertently picked up a droid carrying a very important data disk it seems.” Obi-Wan wanted to calm the situation down, taking a less aggressive stance Obi-Wan deactivated his light-saber.

Anakin didn’t put his blade up, but he felt a little less threatened and more in control of the situation now that he was the only one with a weapon drawn.

“All we want is the data disk,” Mon said,

Anakin’s mind raced back to his room on _Starkiller_ where the disk was laying in a storage compartment next to Qui-Gon’s holocron. 

“And were willing to pay,” she added,

“Plus if you give us the data disk most likely the target on your back will be removed,” Bail said, it was clear that the pirate didn’t want the data disk; he wanted to be left alone.

Anakin could feel that they were telling the truth, he didn’t let down his guard but he reached to his belt and picked up his com-link.

* * *

Asajj had barely managed to get away from the Jedi following her, fortunately it was getting dark now and she knew the city much better than the Jedi. Asajj had dropped down from the rooftops and circled back by the street level to where Ahsoka was waiting at the docking port with the case of credits. 

“Where’s Anakin?” Ahsoka asked,

“He’s not here?”

“No,” Ahsoka glanced at the entrance to the docks.

“Then he’ll be along in a minute,” Asajj said, however, when Anakin failed to turn up both of them knew without having been told that Anakin wasn’t coming.

“Looks like we're rescuing him,” Asajj said. 


	9. CONFRONTATIONS

Anakin waited for a long minute after keying for the right frequency until Asajj’s voice came over the other end of the cam “what?”

“Asajj I need the data disk I found in R2, can you bring it to the apartment?” Anakin asked.

“Anakin?” Asajj’s voice was warning, “what are you getting yourself into?”.

“Just hurry please?” Anakin kept a wary eye on the Jedi and senators.

Asajj clicked off the com and headed to the back of _Starkiller_ to get the data disk from Anakin’s room.

“What’s going on?” Ahsoka asked following Asajj, 

“I’ve got to go save Anakin from another one of his decisions,” Asajj paused as she passed the weapons compartment.

The wait inside the apartment seemed long; silence had passed by for several minutes when Obi-Wan said. “Where did you receive your training in the force?” It was more than clear that the pirate could not have learned so much of the Jedi techniques on his own.

“That’s not important,” was the standoffish reply from the pirate,

“I think it is?” Obi-Wan countered, their conversation, however, was cut short as Asajj appeared in the window. She tossed a handful of small detonators into the room, holding with one long grey thumb over a trigger held in one hand, she held in the other a small round data disk. 

“You have your disk now, we’re no longer any of your concern,” Anakin said Asajj flicked her fingers and tossed the disk to Bail, who caught it.

“Come on Anakin,” Asajj jerked her head back out the window. Anakin stepped past her and deactivating his light-saber vanished. “Don’t bother following us,” Asajj said and turning she followed Anakin into _Farrth’s_ night.

Anakin and Asajj made it back to _Starkiller_ as quickly as possible; they knew that the detonators would not slow up the Jedi for long if he chose to follow. When they arrived at the docking bay Ahsoka already had _Starkiller_ running and ready to go. As soon as Anakin and Asajj were on board Ahsoka lifted the ramp and was heading for open space.

Asajj turned to Anakin in the corridor and said “that was stupid,” it was not the first time she’d had to dress him down for being reckless since she’d known him “when I say run I don’t mean turn around and do that exact opposite”.

“I’m tired of running,” Anakin said.

“It was reckless, they could have killed you,” Asajj held up a warning finger.

“At least I got them off our backs,” Anakin said, he knew Asajj was right though, he could have been killed.

“For now,” Asajj corrected and headed into the cockpit. 

“Where are we heading?” Ahsoka asked,

“Anywhere,” Anakin said, taking a seat behind the little togruta.

* * *

When Adi arrived at the apartment it was moments after the pirates had left, by the time she and Obi-Wan arrived at the spaceport they found the _Starkiller_ gone, and the tracking device broken and laying on the ground. 

“Well we're not going to see them again for a long while,” Obi-Wan said, picking up the broken tracking device, clearly slashed through with a light-saber.

“Their smart pirates I’ll give them that,” was all Adi said.

  
  



	10. HOME FOR NOW

The creation of an army act was more then sunk after the information on the data disk had been revealed to the galactic senate. A full investigation was being launched into the creation of the clone armies on _Kamino_. 

Relations between the Separatists and the Republic had become more fractured than ever before over the discovery of the clone armies. The Separatists viewed the creation of a secret army as just another example of Republic aggression and back dealing. Hostilities were beginning to escalate between the two political powers.

The Jedi were more than occupied trying to hold together what little piece was still in the galaxy after the information on the data disk came out and didn’t have the time to investigate into the pirates any further. Obi-Wan had ended his investigation with Master Galia after no further record of the pirates had come to light. The pirates had never been documented by the Republic as far as Obi-Wan could tell outside of his own investigation into them. The fact that there were three force sensitive pirates who were all partly trained in the force, and who had gone unnoticed by the Jedi disturbed the council greatly. It served to show how much the dark side clouded everything that the council had not sensed their presents. It also raised the questions into who had trained them?

Obi-Wan was greatly disturbed by the young male pirate he’d met, Anakin, the name sounded familiar but Obi-Wan wasn’t sure why. There was something incredibly powerful about the young man and it seemed that the disturbances in the force that Obi-Wan had sensed before seemed to have revealed itself in this Anakin.

* * *

Castas knew he’d failed, and now he was on the run, the count was not happy with his inability to retrieve the data disk before the Jedi. Now with these clone armies revealed Castas was heading for the outer rim where he could hide from the count. Whatever was going on in the galaxy Castas decided he didn’t want to be involved in it any longer.

* * *

Anakin, Ahsoka and Asajj had gone deep into the outer rim; they were looking for a bit of price. With the bounty removed from their heads and the Jedi apparently giving up the chase for now, the crew of the _Starkiller_ thought it best to just lay low for a while. 

_Tanga-3_ was a good planet for that, and with the credits they’d gotten from the sale of the crystals they wouldn’t need to work as pirates for a while. 

“Well it’s as good a place as any,” Asajj said looking at their yellow house, settled in the small city.

“Not half bad,” Anakin agreed,

“It's home,” Ahsoka said.

Anakin and Asajj looked at one another and then to Ahsoka and nodding Anakin said “yeah home,” 

“Home,” Asajj repeated.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine sat in his office; he’s plans for the clone armies had been foiled once again by the Jedi. This would take major restructuring to fix what damage the Jedi had done. But not all was lost, the force had given up yet another of its secrets to him, Palpatine had felt the ripple in the force for years growing ever stronger. But never had he felt them quite as clearly as he had in recent days. Out there, somewhere in the galaxy, something was disturbing the force like a great ripple in a pond. He could feel it, some great power and at the epicenter of it, the being responsible for the disruption in the force. Palpatine smiled, his plans may have changed but perhaps the dark side was guiding him to something better. 


End file.
